AUSTIN, Texas, March 4, 2013 -- In the spirit of the South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive Festival's "space exploration" theme, Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) will display its tennis-court-sized, four-story-high, full-scale model of the James Webb Space Telescope on the lawn outside the Long Center for the Performing Arts in Austin March 8-10.

Learn about the vision behind the Webb Telescope and the challenges of its construction in an immersive experience that showcases the science, images and technologies changing people's understanding of the universe. Free to the public, the exhibit will feature Microsoft Research's interactive World Wide Telescope and activities with NASA that demonstrate how the Webb Telescope will inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers to push the boundaries of science and technology. Visitors will get an in-depth look at the perplexing questions this advanced telescope is designed to help answer, such as: How did the universe make its first stars and galaxies? Is this solar system unique? Are we alone in the cosmos?

What:

The James Webb Space Telescope exhibit at SXSW opens to the general public on Friday, March 8. Media are invited for a sneak preview of the exhibit to get B-roll footage and advance photographs and interviews from Wednesday, March 6, through Friday, March 8, by appointment. NASA and Northrop Grumman representatives will be available for interviews.

Media may also visit the Webb Telescope exhibit with the SXSW crowds from Friday, March 8, through Sunday, March 10, and interview the team that is building the James Webb Space Telescope, including representatives from NASA, the Space Telescope Science Institute, Northrop Grumman, Ball Aerospace, ATK and ITT Exelis.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cybersecurity, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit
www.northropgrumman.com
for more information.